1. Question: Assess the claim that Marxist theory no longer has any relevance for understanding modern societies. (25)

Candidate A's Answer Marxist theory believes in inequality of people through capitalization. This theory argues that society is divided into two separate classes consisting of the Bourgoeisie and the Proletariat. The Bourgoeisie are the owners of the mean of production and are considered the ruling class, where as. The proletariats are the workers or laborers and are considered the subject class. Where as Marxist claims were of a greater relevance to traditional society the theory no longer hold that much truth when understanding modern societies. Marx is leading Marxist theorists argued that society was not fair to its members or more so a certain class in society. He believed that people were exploited by the ruling class for their labor and in order to run their businesses. Since they were the sole owners of the means of production, the subject class was dependent upon them in order to earn an income. However, they were also dependent on the subject class only they still took advantage and paid lower wages than was expected in order to keep the working class in place and not have them rise to become better off. The first contradiction of Marx argument was incorrect when he claimed that there were two classes. In modern society with changing times it can be seen that there exist more than two classes. There no longer exist only the ruling class and subject class but there is a middle class. With Marx prediction of polarization never occurring he was also proved wrong there. is the movement of class away from the middle class, shifting the extreme top or bottom as the case may be. This simply means that those who were rich become richer and the poor become poorer. However this never occurs. Although Marxist theory is not completely eliminated from society, society is not what it wants appeared to have been by Marx. The functionalist theory can also be applied to modern society but like Marxist not in great doses. The modern society can at time be peace and order with the smooth running of affairs, however at other times this tranquility can be upset with violence and war and inequality. Neo-Marxists, which are the new thoughts in the Marxist theory argues that in modern society apart from the two class previously mentioned, there exist a third. This class is known as the petite Bourgoeisie.They are, according to Neo-Marxist, considered to own small business and exist independently from the Bourgoeisie. Marx once mentioned that only within a communist society there would be peace and equality. He claims were that once all the means of production was owned by the Government, people would be treated fairly and be awarded equally. This claim too has been criticized greatly since modern society in seen to be functioning with democratic rulers and people and society seem to be satisfied. What should be greatly noted about Marxist theory is the time it was published. At this point in time society was as Marx claimed with false ideology and consciousness. People were treated unfairly and so Marx sought to give his solution to what was thought to be a problem. However, times since Marx have change with the introduction of the functionalists and their theory and that too was of a different era to the modern society. Both theories have served out their existence and now in the modern society new thoughts are progressing. However, points and statements can be related from the Marxist to modern society, but that is a s far as it goes in terms of using Marxist theory to understand modern society. Consequently, Marxist theory can be used as a guide to understanding modern society not as a general theory to fully comprehending what modern societies are about. With every era comes change and it is time that new studies (theories) be introduce to understand modern society (ies). The...

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Sociological Theories and Family Institution
We don’t get to pick the family we are born into. Family is the basic unit of our society.
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children which represent the nuclear family. You can branch out also look at the extended
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...The Usefulness of “The Sociological Imagination” in Relation to Gender, Social Inequality and Suicide
Sociological imagination is the “quality of mind” (Mills, 1959: p. 4) that enables us to look outside our everyday life and see the entire society as we were an outsider with the benefit of acknowledge of human and social behaviour. It allows us to see how society shapes and influences our life experiences. Is the ability to see the general in the particular and to “defamiliarise the familiar” (Bauman 1990: p. 15). According to C. Wright Mills, it “enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals” (Mills, 1959: p. 5). These experiences are affected by social changes so in order to understand them we need to look beyond them. This way, sociological imagination is very useful as it allows us to relate the situations in which we live our daily lives to global societal issues that affect us. However in this essay I am only going to discuss the usefulness of sociological imagination in relation to gender, social inequality and suicide.
Seeing the world sociologically also makes us aware of the importance of gender. Gender refers to the social aspects of differences and hierarchies between male and female. Every society attaches meanings to gender, giving woman and men different kind of work,...

...The sociological imagination (SI) has a high degree of relevance to the contemporary workplace. This is underpinned by the basic nature of contemporary workplaces to undertake socialisation to achieve business results (Watson 2010 &amp; Van Kreikenm et al. 2006 ). Clarity will be formed around defining the SI and key examples given of its application. The role of a human resource manager (HRM) will be used to logically develop a supporting argument. Additionally exploration of how the SI goes beyond what typical HRM theory delivers is considered. To build on the relevance of the SI to HRM a focus is draw from the function of recruitment and selection. Concluding with how globalisation and modern society has influenced the SI and is application to HRM (Fuller 2006).
The sociological imagination can easily be presented in an over sophisticated manner and misunderstood in application. To avoid such errors for the reader, early clarification is essential. The SI can be explained as a perspective of looking at the world through a sociological vision or lens concerned with exploring individual dilemmas and the relationship to public issues in a context of biography, change, history and social structures. These dilemmas are based on social, political and economic issues or influences (Mills 1959). This principle can be illustrated with the following short and precise examples. When individuals choose not to undertake higher education;...

...Sociological imagination
C Wright Mills &amp; The Sociological Imagination (Jureidini &amp; Poole, 2003)
To give a definition for ‘sociological imagination’ we must first give a definition for sociology, which is the study of the human society and is the main component of sociological imagination.
(Mills, 1959 )One of the fundamental contributors to the concept of sociological imagination is C. Wright Mills who had a unique approach to sociology. As per C. Wright Mills “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both”. In his book The Sociological Imagination, Mills used the same famous phrase which is used in society today. Sociological imagination is a way of been able to ‘think ourselves away’ from our familiar routines of day to day living in order to look at them from a new perspective.
Mills define Sociological Imagination as ‘the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society.’ It is the ability to see things socially and how they interact and influence each other. To have a sociological imagination, a person must distance himself from the situation and look at it from a different point of view.
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...“The Sociological Imagination”
By: C. Wright Mills
“Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” -C Wright. Mills, www.brainyquotes.com
Why is it important for humans to use their sociological imagination? In this essay I will interpret my sense of thoughts about C. Wright Mill’s theory of humans using their sociological imagination and feeling “trapped”. Modernity has consumed a lot of our lives that we now sense a feeling of being “trapped” in ourselves. We evolve ourselves solely around our immediate surroundings, forgetting how important it is to remember our histories and past. We are so caught up in modern technology such as cell phones, social media, TV, how well have to dress to impress people that we often forget what is going on around us in the rest of the world.
C. Wright Mills had presented the theory that in order for an individual to use their own sociological imagination, they must assimilate their personal lives with the society arround them and build a connection between both to view it from another individual’s perspective. In the statement, “Nowadays people often feel that their private lives are a series of traps” (Mills, p. 1)., Mills is referring to a sociological issue that many individuals battle on a daily basis, one in which they do not view the world beyond their own immediate surroundings. For...

...﻿Structural Functionalism (Herbert Spencer) is a sociological theory that attempts to explain why society functions the way it does by focusing on the relationships between the various social institutions that make up society (e.g., government, law, education, religion, etc)
Structural Functionalism is a theoretical understanding of society that posits social systems are collective means to fill social needs. In order for social life to survive and develop in society there are a number of activities that need to be carried out to ensure that certain needs are fulfilled. In the structural functionalist model, individuals produce necessary goods and services in various institutions and roles that correlate with the norms of the society.
Thus, one of the key ideas in Structural Functionalism is that society is made-up of groups or institutions, which are cohesive, share common norms, and have a definitive culture. Robert K. Merton argued that functionalism is about the more static or concrete aspects of society, institutions like government or religions. However, any group large enough to be a social institution is included in Structural Functionalist thinking, from religious denominations to sports clubs and everything in between. Structural Functionalism asserts that the way society is organized is the most natural and efficient way for it to be organized.
Gender inequality offers a good illustration. According to Structural Functionalist thought, women...

...Chapter 3
Sociologicalresearch
Methods are not simply neutral tools: they are linked with the ways in which
social scientists envision the connection between different viewpoints about the
nature of social reality and how it should be examined. (Bryman 2008: 4)
Key issues
➤ What is sociologicalresearch?
➤ What different research methods are
available to sociologists?
➤ What are the philosophies that underlie
the collection and analysis of data?
➤ Why and in what ways have feminists
criticized conventional sociologicalresearch?
Introduction
We all engage in some form of research in our everyday
lives by collecting and processing information and
coming to conclusions about a product, service or
decision. You may have been stopped in the street and
asked to take part in market research, testing the latest
brand of a particular product. You may have heard
research ﬁndings discussed in the news. Indeed,
research is part of our everyday lives.
In this chapter we look at sociologicalresearch
and explore why and how sociologists do research.
Sociologicalresearch can provide explanations for issues
that affect us both as individuals and as members of
larger groups. It can help us to make the links between
personal...

...What is the Sociological Imagination? The sociological imagination is defined as “the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual’s life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces.” (Conley, 5) So to begin I, had to ask myself what parts of my life can be examined by the social imagination. The first thing I had to do was look at what sociological institutions and forces have made me who I am today. The process of narrowing down the most influential forces really took some time. The first one I thought of was one that a person cannot choose, that being my family and how this has given me some of my most important characteristics, such as my work ethic and views of the society which we live in. The next institution I thought of was religion and how it influenced my views of the world, my morals, and how the establishment of my religion has given me a greater sense of belonging. And finally I looked at how the media has shaped the way that I make my political decisions as well as allowing me to become more tolerant of others.
The fist, and potentially the most important, social institution in my life would have been my family. Over my years as an adolescence, being raised in my parent’s home, I was socialized in what was to be expected for things such as my politics, ethics, work ethic, religious/spiritual views and my views of the family unit, as well as how I should view and interact. Today I...